An adolescent client reports to the nurse of walking with a limp due to pain localized in the right knee which worsens at night but denies any recent injury or trauma. The nurse observes swelling and tenderness in the right lower thigh, and imaging results reveal radial ossification in the soft tissues.
Which condition should the nurse consider as the probable cause of the findings?
Osteosarcoma
Growing pains
Rhabdomyolysis
Hemosiderosis
The Correct Answer is A
The adolescent client's symptoms of localized pain, swelling, and tenderness, particularly at night, are suggestive of a malignancy such as osteosarcoma, which is the most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents.
Radial ossification in the soft tissues is a characteristic finding in osteosarcoma and is indicative of bone production by malignant cells. Other imaging modalities, such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may also reveal osteolytic or osteoblastic lesions in the bone.
Growing pains are a common, benign condition that occur in children and do not typically present with the
symptoms described in the case scenario.
Rhabdomyolysis is a medical emergency that involves the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue and release of muscle fiber contents into the bloodstream. It can present with muscle pain, swelling, and tenderness, but typically occurs as a result of injury, infection, or drug toxicity.
Hemosiderosis is a rare condition characterized by the accumulation of iron in various tissues, including the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. It may present with symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, and abdominal pain, but is not typically associated with the symptoms and imaging findings described in the case scenario.
Therefore, the nurse should consider osteosarcoma as the probable cause of the adolescent client's symptoms and imaging findings, and should collaborate with the healthcare team to develop a plan of care for diagnosis and treatment.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
In a 5-week-old infant presenting with a history of projectile vomiting after feedings, the nurse should expect to assess an olive-size mass in the epigastric area. This finding is consistent with pyloric stenosis, a condition in which the muscle at the bottom of the stomach that controls the flow of food into the small intestine becomes thickened and narrowed.
Rebound tenderness in the left lower abdominal quadrant, stool that consists of mucus and blood, and frequent burping accompanied by poor feeding are not typically associated with pyloric stenosis.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that the first dose of MMR vaccine be given at 12-15 months of age.
A. 6 months is too early for the MMR vaccine.
D. 2 months is also too early for the MMR vaccine.
C. 24 months is slightly beyond the recommended range for the first dose of MMR vaccine, which is given between 12-15 months of age.
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